Two employees accused in murder of tire shop owner

FORT MYERS: Four people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Fort Myers businessman - including two of the victim's employees. One of the business owner's sons says the two employees even went to his funeral and wake. Now, they're charged with his murder.

Epimenio Leal was shot in the head while in the driveway of his home at 4241 Woodside Avenue on April 10th. Leal was the owner of Leal's Tire and Wheels on Ortiz Avenue in east Fort Myers.

The arrest report says the crime was planned by Pedro Cruz, 29, who worked in one of Leal's tire shops. Detectives say he had inside information on Leal's financial status and whereabouts.

The report says 16-year-old Raul Zavala pulled the trigger, and also states that he helped plan the crime.

It was information that Leal's nephew Edwards Velasquez found hard to accept. He was the person who discovered Leal's body gunned down in the backyard of his Fort Myers home. He even posted fliers all over town searching for the murderer.

"We never thought the people who did this would be people we knew," said Velasquez.

Leal's daughter-in-law, Liliana Cruz Leal, says she and her brother both worked for Leal and that he was a man her brother admired.

"He loved him a lot; he would always give us good advice. He was a man with the sweetest heart there ever existed in this world," said Liliana.

News that her brother Pedro Cruz was one of the accused murderers hit her hard and it was hard to believe.

"It wasn't him, it was not him! They got the wrong person!" said Liliana.

Detectives say Pedro Cruz didn't take part in the attack, but threatened to harm anyone who backed out. He was said to have organized the date, time, and how they would split the stolen cash.

But investigators say things took a turn for the worse when Leal decided to fight back. The evidence shows Leal tried to fight off his attackers before being shot. He was even able to pull a mask off of one of the thieves.

"He fought back, everything we know about him from the community is how he was a big, strong man, and everything in his nature says he would have fought back," said Jennifer Soto of the Fort Myers Police Department.

Also arrested and charged felony robbery and murder are:

Filiberto Quiroga, 19

Joshua Bauer, 22

All four are being held at the Lee County Jail and are charged with felony murder. They are all allegedly affiliated with the Latin Kings street gang.

Police are still looking for a fifth suspect in the murder, identified as 17-year-old Carlos Zavala.

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